Bylaws

Bylaws of the Educating and Diversifying the Next Generation Caucus (GenNext Caucus) of the American Association of Law Libraries


Article I: NAME

The name of this Caucus shall be the Educating and Diversifying the Next Generation Caucus (GenNext Caucus).


Article II: PURPOSES

The purposes of the GenNext Caucus are to:

  1. Provide a forum for diversifying our profession and educating the next generation of law librarians.
  2. Strategize how to break down barriers to the profession. 
  3. Help create pipelines to law librarianship that increase diversity of our community and profession.
  4. Help recruit and train law librarians who would like to teach in LIS programs.
  5. Support and collaborate with AALL as they execute their related Pillar of the forthcoming 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, and any other future, related endeavors.


Article III: MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall be open to any member of AALL requesting affiliation with the GenNext Caucus.


Article IV: ANTIDISCRIMINATION

The GenNext Caucus incorporates AALL’s commitment to anti-discrimination. See, AALL Bylaws.


Article V: OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1. Officers

The officers shall consist of a Chair, Vice Chair/Chair-Elect,  and Secretary/Treasurer.  Candidates for an officer position shall be members of the Caucus. The Chair shall serve a one-year term. The Vice Chair shall serve a two-year term, 1 year as Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, 1 year as Chair. The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve a 2 year term. The Member-at-Large shall serve a 2-year term.  


Section 2. Duties of Officers

  1. Chair

It shall be the duty of the Chair to: coordinate all business and projects of the Caucus through the Executive Committee of this Caucus; appoint members to the committees of the Caucus, who shall select their own leadership within the committee; act as a liaison to AALL; and prepare an annual report of Caucus activities, in collaboration with the Secretary/Treasurer.

  1. Vice Chair/Chair-Elect

It shall be the duty of the Vice Chair/ Chair-Elect to serve as the manager of electronic resources, in collaboration and partnership with the Website Committee, including websites and blogs for the Caucus, and to perform any other duties delegated by the Chair. 

  1. Secretary/Treasurer

It shall be the duty of the Secretary/Treasurer to maintain all records of the Caucus. This includes the taking and reporting of minutes of business meetings; managing transactions and preparing reports, including an annual report of Caucus activities, in collaboration with the Chair; and in conjunction with the Chair, preparing ballots for annual elections, and tabulating results.

 Section 3. Executive Committee

There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the officers named above, the immediate past Chair, and a Member-at-Large. The Member-at-Large shall be elected for a two-year term, and shall perform duties as a member of the Executive Committee, including but not limited to, facilitating decision-making, voting on actions of the Caucus, offering opinions and suggestions for the governance of the Caucus, and other duties comparable to those usually assigned to those similarly situated in comparable caucuses.

Section 4. Vacancies

In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chair, the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall automatically become Caucus Chair, and will continue in that office until the expiration of the term for which the Vice Chair/Chair-Elect was originally elected to serve.

In the event of a vacancy in the office of Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, the immediate past Caucus Chair will automatically become Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, and will serve until the expiration of the pending term.

In the event of a vacancy in the office of Secretary/Treasurer, the Chair shall appoint a replacement with the approval of the Executive Board.

In the event of a vacancy in the position of Member-at-Large to the executive board, the Chair shall appoint a replacement with the approval of the Executive Board.


Article VI: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1. Nominations Committee

There will be a nominations committee appointed by the Caucus Chair, consisting of three (3) members, none of whom shall be a member of the executive board, and none of whom shall be a candidate for office at the following election. Each member of the committee will serve a three-year term. In the event of a vacancy, the Caucus Chair may designate any former member of the committee or a volunteer from the membership of the Caucus,  to fill the vacancy until the expiration of the term.

Section 2. Nominations

The nominations committee will nominate at least one candidate for each office. Names of candidates will be presented by the nominations committee to the Caucus Chair at least 60 days before the Annual Meeting to enable the chair to inform the members of the nominations. Notification of the members may be done by announcement via the listserv, website, and/or other communications methods later developed and must occur at least 45 days before the annual meeting. Additional nominations may be made by communicating such nominations to the Chair in writing, at least fifteen (15) days prior to the Annual Meeting.

Section 3. Voting

General elections must take place during the Annual Meeting of the Caucus.  Election to an office will be by a simple majority of members present.


Article VII:  MEETINGS

Section 1. Annual Meeting

A business meeting shall be held annually as set by the Executive Committee of the Caucus.   Meetings will be open to all members of the AALL, but only members of the GenNext Caucus may vote in any Caucus meeting.

Section 2. Quorum

A quorum will consist of the members present at the meeting but no less than 5 members.


Article VIII: COMMITTEES

  1. There shall be such standing or special committees as the Executive Committee, or the membership of the Caucus shall create.
  2. There shall be a standing Nominations Committee as described in Article VI, Section 1. 

Article IX: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The latest edition of Sturgis' Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure shall govern all procedures of this Caucus not covered by these Bylaws.


Article X: AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended at the annual meeting of the Caucus, by a simple majority vote of the members present. Notice of proposed amendments shall be published in the Caucus's newsletter or published on the Caucus's listserv and website at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting.


Approved: July 1, 2022


Bylaws Committee

Chairs:  Thomas Mills & Rebecca Plevel

Members: Jocelyn Kennedy, James Donovan, Anne Klinefelter, & Devan Orr